Stylus for sound-reproducing machines.



P. CATUCCI.

STYLUS FOR SOUND REPRODUGING MACHINES. APPLICATION HLED Aue.10. 1914.

WITNESSES HIM Patented May 4, 1915.

ED srA'rEs PATENT orricE.

PL IN Y CATUCCI, OF"NEWARK, NEW JEBSEY,;ASSIGNOR TO A. F, MEISSELBACH &

- i BROTHER, A CORPORATION OF NEW STYLUS FOR SOUND-REPRODUCING MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PLINY CA'ruool, a citizen of the. United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State. of New Jersey, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Styli for Sound- Reproducing Machines, of which the follow-' ing is a description.

My invention relates to improvements 1n the mounting of the jeweled stylus polnts for sound reproducing machines, and has process inasmuch as the point itself is almost microscopic in size, and in practice the operator is required to use high powered glasses in order to accomplish the perfect grinding of the point. Moreover, in order to secure stylus points of the requisite size, it is the practice to take the precious stones, either diamond or sapphire, and saw them up into comparatively long prismatic strips which are afterward rounded and pointed. For this purpose,,'diamonds and sapphires of considerable size and value are required.-

I have discovered that it is not only p ossible, but-practicable, to-use small diamond or sapphire chips in the rough mounted in a suitable holder and having a working point ground thereon. The process of grinding the working point upon the stone results in locating the axis of such working point exactly in the axis of the holder and. its

shank so that the general direction and location of the point when the stylus is put in use is not left to guesswork.

My improvement further relates to a holder for the stylus needle, constructed substantially as above indicated, such holder being provided with means whereby the,

point of the-needle-may be made to bear upon the record surface at-any requisite or desired angle for the properreproduction of the record. This holder is provided with a shank by which it may be supported in Specification of Letters latent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed August 10, 1914. Serial No. 855,946.

the stylus lever of the sound box with which I it is tobe used.

It .might be considered that the process of grinding the working point upon the rough diamond or sapphire would be an expensive one, and that the cost of the diamonds or sapphires themselves would be prohibitive. This, however, is not the case, for the small diamond chips and minute rough diamonds and sapphires can be had for a very small price, and the roughness of their surface adds materially" to the firmness of the mounting inthe holder.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of myimprovement Figure 1, illustrates a side view of oneformof my improved stylus drawn to full size fof actual use. Fig. 2. is a similar view very much enlarged. Fig. 3, illustrates the cup holder and the shank thereof detached. In this case, the shank is shown squarewith round corners. Fig. 4, illustrates, partly in vertical section, a hexagonal'shank with the cup holder and cementitious. material. Fig. -5, illustrates a triangular shank. with rounded corners about to be inserted in a cup holder, in which the rough stone is held in position by the cementitious material. Fig. 6, is a similar view partly in section of a stylus having-a wooden shank screwed into the cup holder and holding the cementitious material and working point in position. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 8, is a similar bottom plan view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9, is a similar bottom plan View of Fig. 12, is a similar enlarged view of a stylus point designed for use in connection with a record groove which is substantially semi-circular in cross-section. Fig. 13, is an enlarged front view of a stylus holder dcsigned for securing the stylus to the sound box lever. Fig. 14, is' a side elevation partly in section of said stylus holder. Fig. 15, is

a rear view ofthe same. Fig. 16, is a crosssection on line 16l6 of Fig. 14. Fig. 17, is a plan view. Fig. 18, is a side elevation of a modified form of stylus holder designed for permitting the universal adjustment of the stylus point. Fig. 19. isa side elevation of a. still further modified form showing the In practice I provide a substantially tubular thimble l,- of proper size with its lower edge 2, at first rounded off as indi cated in Fig. 3'. This thimble is mounted in suitable mechanism and the rounded lower edge is spun down into the shape shown in full lines in Fig. 3, at 3, leaving an opening 4, of comparatively considerable size. The rough diamond or sapphire chip 5, is next dropped into this thimble-shaped holder 1, after which a few minute particles of spelter 7, or other suitable cementitious material with low melting point, is dropped into the cup, which then with its contents is held in a minute gas flame until the spelter or other cementitious material has been melted. The shank 8, is then forced down upon the spelter or other cementitious material, and held for a moment or two while the spelter or cemlentitious material is allowed to harden. The lower end of the shank 8, is provided with a conical cavity 9, so that when the shank is forced into the cupshaped thimble 1, it has a tendency to crowd and force the melted spelter into the interstices and irregularities of the stone so that it is firmly embedded in solid metal- With the parts thus brazed and secured together the stylus is then inserted into a grinding device-and the working point 6, is ground upon the stone or jewel 5, and at the same time any surplus cementitio us material is ground away so as to leave the end of the stylus substantially hemi-spherical with the working point 6 in the exact axial line of the st lus. This I regard as an important featur for as above indicated the completed point is so minute in its dimensions that it is almost impossible to discern it with the naked eye, and the fact that its location is in the exact axis of the stylus serves to indicate to the user'that the general direction of the stylus itself may be relied upon' to properly locate the working point upon the record with which the stylus is to be used.

[Insome cases, as indicated in Fig. 6, I may provide a shank 8, made of wood and screw the same into a previously screwthreaded cup holder 1' as indicated. For the reproduction of a certain class of music, it has been .found that the elasticity of a wooden shank is such as to render the reproduction much more perfect. Again, the manufacturers of sound reproducing machines have adopted various forms for the shanks of their styli. For example, one kind of instrument uses only a cylindrical stylus, as in Fig. 7, with a diamond point and a hexagonal stylus as shown in Fig. 9, for a sapphire point. Another manufacturer uses a square shank as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, for the diamond oint, and a triangular shank as shown in Figs. 5 and 10, for a sapphire point. The working points are so minute that the material of which they are constructed is hardly to be discerned by the naked eye, therefore the shape of the shank itself is utilized in my improved stylus for determining the character of the working point itself,-that is as to whether it is designed for a record groove triangular in cross-section, or whether the material of which the working point is constructed is diamond or sapphire. As shown in the enlarged views in Figs. 11 and 12 it will be noted that the projecting working point of the stylus is always constructed to conform quite closely in vertical section to an equilateral triangle, with the extreme apex of the working point slightly. rounded. In

Fig. 12, it will be seen that the working point is hemi-spherical, but that the shank of the point is rounded up to run into the body of the stone where it is held by the cementitious material within the holder 1.

When it is considered that the maximum depth of a record groove is about 4/1000ths of an inch, and the amount to which the working point of the stylus projects from the holder is about 7 /1000ths of an inch, the minuteness and delicacy of the operation will be realized. In practice the jeweled pointed'stylus appears to work best when the axis of the stylus itself is substantially perpendicular to the'plane of the record.

' Under certain conditions, however, a slightly better reproduction may be had by varying the angle slightly from the perpendicular. For this reason I have provided a holder for the stylus whereby the bearing angle for the stylus itself upon the record tablet may be adjusted to suit the conditions required.

In Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16, I have shown one form in which the stylus is mounted upon a circular cup-shaped disk 20, provided with a shank 21, which projects at an angle fromthe face of the disk 20. The disk 20, is provided with a central aperture 22, through which projects the shackle 23. On the cup side of the disk 20,- I provide the I-shaped fiat clamping member 24, the narrow central portion of which 25, passes through the opening in the shackle 23. Within the shackle is a screw-threaded nut 26, through which eds the screw 27, the inner end The free end of the shackle bearing upon the part 25 of the member 24. projects through the aperture 22, to receive the stylus shank 8. From this it will be readily understood that by screwing up the screw 27, the shank of the stylus may be adjusted to any angular position relatively to the disk 20.

In Figs. 17 and 18, I show the stylus shank 8, as being provided with a spherical body 28, which is clamped between two hemispherical socket members 29, of the shape and contour illustrated in Fig. 17. The members 29. are provided with projecting lugs 30, and with theclamping screw 31, and nut 32. The supporting shank 33, is clamped between the opposite ends of the clamping members 29, by means of a similar' screw 34 and nut 35. It will be readily'seen that with this construction a substantially universal joint is provided by which the shank 8 may be adjusted to any degree of angularity within the limits of the clamping members 29.

In F i 19, I show a similar'method of adj ustmen but provide also for the-adjustment of the angularity ofthe shank 36. In' this case, the. shank 36 projects between the free ends of the members '29, and is held in ad justed position by means of the screw 31 and its nut 35.-

In Figs. 20 and 21, I have shown a slight modification of the first form of stylus holder; in this case, they cup-shaped disk 20. and its shank21, are substantially the same as indicated in Figs. 13 to 16 inclusive. However, instead of the shackle 23, I provide a screw-eye 37 the eye portion'of which is slightly larger than shank 8, of the stylus. On the cup side of the disk 20, I provide a washer 38,0utside of which, upon the screw-threaded end of the screw-eye 37, is the nut 39. The aper-- ture'22, through the disk is of suiiicient size to permit of the turning of the screw-eye without interfering withthe walls of said aperture.

In any one of the stylus holders shown, the means for securing the shank of the stylus may be shaped to conform to the contour of the shank itself whether the the diameter of the same be circular, square, hexagonal, or triangular in cross-section as indicated in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10, in a manner readily understood by those skilled in the art. In the stylus holders it will be noted that I have shown the shanks 21, 33 and 36 as being triangular in cross-section. These angular shanks, taken in connection with the angularity of the disk 20, and the clamping members '29, readily afford a convenient means for determining the exact position for mounting the stylus holder in the stylus lever of the sound box, and thereby avoid all guess work in the adjustment of said holder in the stylus resting against the ledge formed by and pro- -within said tubular lever, and the fact that necessity of first locating the microscopic working point.

. While I have shown several modifications of stylus holder, I do not desire to be considered as exhausting this particular feat ture of my'invention, for it is readily seen that now the suggestion of adjustability has been made, other forms of adjustment will readily suggest themselves. to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a stylus mounting for sound reproducing machines, the combination of a tubular thimble having one of its ends contracted to form a small opening,a rough jewel embedded in a cementitious material within said thimble, resting against the ledge formed by and projecting slightly from said contracted opening, and a working po nt ground upon said jewel, said working point lying in the axis of said thimble.

. 2. In a stylus mounting for sound reproducing machines, the combination of a tubular thimble having one of its ends contracted to provide acomparatively small opening therein, a rough jewel embedded in a cementitious material within said tubular thimble,

jecting slightly from said opening, and a working point upon the projecting part of said jewel with the axis of said point coincident with the axis of said thimble.

3. Ina stylus mounting for sound reproducing machines, the combination of a tubular thimble having one of its ends contracted to form a small opening, a rough jewel embedded in a cementitious material within said tubular thimble'for holding said jewel in place, a working point ground upon said jewel in the axis ofsaid thimble, and a shank inserted into said tubular thimble above and against said cementitious material.

4. Ina stylus mounting for sound reproducing machines, the combination of a tubular thlmble having one of its ends contracted to provide a comparatively small opening therein, a rough jewel projecting slightly from said opening, a cementitious material thimble in which said jewel is embedded for holding the same against displacement, a working point ground upon the projecting part of said jewel coincident with the axis of said thimble, and a shank inserted into said tubular thimble above and against saidcementitious material.

5. A stylus for sound reproducing devices having a rough jewel having a hemispherical surface provided with a single stylus point ground thereon, said stylus point havingan axial-section conforming to the sides of an equilateral triangle. I

6. In a stylus mounting for sound reprom9 ducing devices, the combination of a rough stone having a single working point ground thereon, said point conforming in verticalsection to the sides of .an equilateral triangle, a support for said jewel comprising a tubular thimble having a contracted opening at one of its ends against the margin of which said jewel rests, and a shank firmly inserted inits opposite end. i

7. In a stylus mounting for sound reproducing devices, the combination of a Support comprising a tubular thimble having a contracted opening at one of its ends, a jewel embedded in metal within said thimble and resting against the ledge formed by said contracted opening and having a working point projecting from said opening, and a shank firmly inserted in its opposite end, said shank having a cross-sectional contour of a shape to indicate the character of the working point and its use.

' 8. In a stylus mounting for sound reproducing devices, the combination of a stylus having a'jewel working point inithe axis thereof, and an adjustable stylus holder for supporting said stylus at any degree of an,

gularity with respect to the face of the record upon which said stylus is to be used.

9. In a stylus support for sound reproducing devices, the combination with the stylus, of a prismatic shank, and a connection between said shank and said stylus whereby said stylus may be supported by said shank at any angle with respect thereto.

10. In a stylus support for sound repro ducing devices, the combination with the stylus, of a support for said stylus, and means for adjustably securing said stylus to said support at any angle with respect to said support.

' 11. In a stylus support for sound reproducing devices, the combination with the stylus, of a supporting disk, and means for said disk adj ustably connecting said stylus to the face at any radial angle with respect to of said disk.

12. In a stylus support for sound reproducing devices, the combination with the stylus, of a disk, and means for connecting said stylus to the face ofsaid disk in any radial position with respect to the center thereof.

13. In a stylus support for sound reproducing devices, the combination with the stylus, of a supporting disk, means for securin said stylus to one face'of said disk in di erent radial positions with respect to. the center of said disk comprising a shackle surrounding said stylus and projecting through the center of said disk, and means for securiingksaid shackle to the opposite face of said 14. In a stylus support for sound reproducing devices, the combination with the stylus, of a centrally apertured disk having an angular shank connected therewith, means for'securing said stylus to one face of said disk comprlsin a shackle surrounding said stylus and pro ecting through the aperture in said disk, and means bearing upon the opposite face of said disk for securing said shackle and stylus in adjusted positions relatively to the face of said disk.

15. In a stylus support for sound repro ducing devices, the combination with the stylus, of a supporting shank, and means connecting said shank and said stylus for permitting minute angular adjustments of said stylus with respect to said shank.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of August, 1914.

LOUIS M. SANDERS, F. L. GREEN. 

